SWMC appeals residents to sort household waste before dumping

The collection of household waste is littered with challenges and the leadership of the Solid Waste Management Corporation (SWMC) is appealing to householders to sort their waste properly before disposing of it in garbage receptacles.

Garbage should be grouped and clearly labelled, where necessary, to help warn sanitation workers of hazards posed by medical waste, biodegradable waste, hazardous waste and others. Medical waste may include needles. Persons should not just casually toss them into a bin which increases the risk of workers that have to collect them.

“Persons are sometimes very dishonest ... and they would pack the waste inside [bins] forcing our staff to literally put their hands inside not knowing what rodents are there so we are asking persons to please use plastic drums with wide mouths so it is easier for the staff to dump it,” said Jamella Christopher, Senior Manager of Human Resource and Communications at the SWMC.

To reduce the burden of lifting the drums or bins, which can be quite heavy depending on the size of the receptacle, the quantity of waste and the type of waste, Christopher recommended inserting small holes in the bottom of the receptacles. This will prevent the build-up of water or other types of liquid that will add to the weight.

Persons were reminded that items such as car batteries, laptops, appliances, mattresses, construction materials, tree branches, grass and leaves, and the like, do not fall under the category of household waste and will not be collected by sanitation workers. Householders must make private arrangements to deliver them to the landfill at Conaree.

“We are responsible for household waste; people disguise their waste at the bottom and so our staff do not know [what’s there] and so it is really, really hectic on them to collect that waste,” the SWMC official added. “We do not want to leave people’s waste behind however if it is not the waste we are collecting we will have no other choice but to move on.